


Out of Time

by castielcntrl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel and Dean Winchester Need to Use Their Words, Character Death, Crying Dean Winchester, Crying Jack Kline, Hurt Castiel (Supernatural), Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt Sam Winchester, M/M, Other, Sad Dean Winchester, The Empty (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:49:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25579120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielcntrl/pseuds/castielcntrl
Summary: "We..are out time."
Relationships: Castiel & Jack Kline & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	Out of Time

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I may or may not have been inspired by the ending of Avengers: Infinity War for this one...yes I was, but we won't talk about that.

They did it.

They won.

Jack had succeeded in taking down the biggest threat to him and the world. Taking down _God_. It was all over.

Sam and Dean were laid out on the grassy field, only a few feet apart. The slight gust of wind passing through the atmosphere and across their sweat and blood covered skin. Both of them groaned as they shifted, their bodies aching with every slow movement they made in order to get up. Castiel was further away; closer to the nephilim who stood tall above the three men. He too, felt aches and pains in every movement he made, but he sat up to look around. He saw the sun shining bright on the earth, a sign of peace. It was something you see in a movie and it brought a soft smile to the angel's lips...then that same smile grew once he saw his son standing in front of him. Jack had stood there, facing the distance in front of him and drew a deep breath as he took in the peaceful nature. Sun rays hitting his skin, closing his eyes to soak it all in.

"I did it." Jack finally spoke in a soft voice. He looked to his right to see Castiel lifting himself off of the ground with a proud smile and a soft chuckle escaping his lips. "I did it, Cas. I beat him." The angel nodded, walking over to his son and pulling him into a tight embrace. Jack laughed out of relief as he let the tension run out of his body and relaxing into his father's touch.

"Jack?" A voice called from the distance. Dean cautiously approached the celestial beings with his little brother following behind, his shoulders relaxing once they had broke the hug and looked at the relieved look on both of their faces. Sam had looked around the empty field as if he were trying to convince himself that everything was finally over. "Is it...did we..." Dean struggled to get a sentence out as the events that had just taken place started to settle in his mind. 

"We did it." Sam said breathlessly. Everyone looked at each other, airy laughs and watery eyed glances being shared. The weight of the world finally lifted from their shoulders and being able to relax for the first time in the longest time. They felt _free_. Finally, _they_ were the ones in control of their lives. The heroes of their own story.

They all gathered around each other, embracing one another and laughing when they squeezed each other so tight everyone groaned in pain. A few tears fell from Sam and Jack's eyes while Dean and Castiel looked on with soft, sincere smiles...but a feeling was slowly washing over the angel that he couldn't help. Seeing his friends — his _family_ ; he saw their genuine smiles and heard their laughs. It all made his heart fill the void that he felt for so long. Jack noticed how Castiel was glowing with this new found feeling he hadn't seen in so long. His face dropping almost immediately once he realized that Castiel was not only relaxed, but he let himself be _happy_.

"No." Jack pushed himself out of the hug, looking at the trench coated angel with tears of fear and anger beginning to surface the rim of his eyelids. Castiel smiled, not wanting his son to fear the inevitable, nor wanting him to blame himself. Sam and Dean let their smiles fade, concern quickly replacing it as they bared witness to the young nephilim becoming frantic. "It's not fair." Jack said through gritted teeth. Castiel shushed him, placing comforting hands on the boy's shoulders.

"It's okay Jack." 

"No." He shook his head and closed his eyes tightly, trying to figure out what he can do to stop The Empty. 

"What's okay? What the hell is going on?" Dean interrupted, growing antsy with the lack of information that he had at the moment.

"Is Chuck not...?" Sam asked, trying to find out as much as he could from Castiel and Jack who had clearly known something that he and Dean didn't. Castiel looked at the brothers and smiled at them sadly.

"Chuck is dead." He reassured.

"It can't take you. I won't let it. I-I can stop it. If I just-"

"Jack." The angel's voice was soft. His hands moved to Jack's face, making the boy look into Castiel's glossy blue eyes. "We've won. You saved us — the _world_. I..." Castiel took a pause, gathering himself long enough to keep his voice strong. "I've served my time on earth. Sam and Dean will take care of you, just as you will take care of them." He smiled softly, but Jack wasn't accepting his father's fate. It wasn't fair, none of it was.

"Cas, what are you talking about?" Sam asked carefully. Castiel let go of Jack, making his way over to Sam and giving him a tight hug full of emotion, but still almost as awkward as the first hug they ever shared. Sam stiffened up at first, never really being used to hugging the angel, but returned it nonetheless. It took a moment before the realization hit the younger Winchester...this hug was to say goodbye. When they broke apart, Castiel stepped over to Dean while Sam stood dumbfounded. Dean was frustrated, confused; he wanted answers to the questions that awaited in his mind, but was so fearful of the answer he would receive.

"You hug me, I'll punch you right in the face." Dean said sharply making the angel scoff. "What's going on man? What aren't you telling me?" Castiel didn't say a word. The deal was still unspoken of, and he wanted it to stay that way. He didn't want the people he loved to carry more guilt from not knowing how to save him. Like he said, they didn't deserve this burden.

"I want you to be happy." The angel's gaze was one of longing, pain, but somehow happiness thrown into it. "I want you all to be happy, Dean." Dean furrowed his eyebrows, confused by what his angel was even saying. Castiel blinked a few times then cleared his throat, moving a hand to place it against Dean's cheek softly. "We...are out of time."

"Wh- time? Cas, what are you talking about? What time?" It was Dean's turn to become frantic. Fear flowing quickly through his veins, but he didn't move from his position. Not when this could possibly be the last time he would feel the angel's touch. "Talk to me, Castiel. Please." His voice was barely above a whisper, cracking at the full name of the angel. Dean's bottom lip quivered in fear as his green eyes filled with tears. Still, no word was said from the angel that stood in front of him. Instead, Castiel placed another hand on the other side of Dean's face, pulling his head down to his lips to place a gentle, lingering kiss to his forehead. Finally letting his own tears fall.

Despite his current situation; having so much pain leaving the ones he loved, Cas was happy. He reached the end on his story with his family by his side. He was grateful he saw their smiles and heard their laughs one last time, and he was relieved to know that he would be leaving them in a better world. A more peaceful one. He was happy he had gotten to know these humans, had become a father to a boy who was destined to be bad only to prove everyone wrong. Castiel was happy he had gotten to have the feeling of being apart of a _real_ family.

Now it was only a matter of time before he'd be taken into the darkness for an eternal sleep, only this time he gets to say goodbye. Dean lifted his head, looking the angel in the eyes, wanting to speak but he couldn't find the right words. He couldn't form a sentence or even begin to process what was happening.

"Goodbye, Dean." Dean closed his eyes and bit down on his quivering lip trying to suppress his emotions like he always did. From that moment it felt like time had slowed down. The noise from outside of his and Castiel's own little bubble became mute. The only sound in his ears were his angel's breathing and the slow thump of his heartbeat...until it was no longer heard. It was nothing but silence and the soft 'whooshes' from the wind. The next thing he knew, Dean opened his eyes to see Sam and Jack knocked to the ground with their hair and clothes ruffled up.

"Where did he go?" Sam practically shouted. Jack sat in his spot, holding his knees to his chest as he sobbed. "Dean where..." Sam stopped once he saw his older brother fall to his knees and stared at the space where Castiel once stood. The broken expression on Dean's face looked so similar to the one he had when they first lost Cas, only this time it was worse. Sam had called to Dean, asking him loads of questions, but it was nothing but muffled noise for Dean. As a few seconds of silence go by, one word was finally said from the oldest Winchester. A simple, three lettered name that was spoken with so much pain and grief etched into every inch of his voice; it sent chills down Sam's spine.

"C-Cas?" Was he could manage to say. Dean stayed still, not moving, tears falling from his eyes. An emptiness filling his chest, almost as if he couldn't breath. "Cas..." He whispered once more, almost as in prayer; hoping to...whoever, that his angel would return. Because he couldn't accept the reality of what happened. He didn't _want_ to accept it.

Because he lost him, and he couldn't save him.


End file.
